The incredible life of Frank Lampard, the football star who has just called time on his 21-year career

Frank Lampard has scored more than 300 goals for Chelsea. and playing for England.Peter Byrne/PA Images
Former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has retired after 21 years as a professional football.

Now 38, Lampard lives in New York City with his wife — TV presenter Christine Bleakley — and his two daughters: Luna (aged 11) and Isla (aged nine).

We took a look back at Lampard's life, from his childhood being raised by football aristocracy, to his success at Stamford Bridge and the controversy that surrounded his relationship with model Elen Rives.

Lampard was born on June 20, 1978 to a family of footballers. His father — Frank Lampard Senior — was a midfielder for West Ham United and played for the England national team, while his uncle, Harry Redknapp, was the manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Lampard Jr attended the fee-paying Brentwood School in Essex until 1994, when he joined West Ham United's youth team. A year later, he signed his first professional contract with the club.

He's had his fair share of high-profile romances, including a seven-year relationship with Spanish model Elen Rives.

Rives started dating Lampard in 2001. They got engaged in 2007, and even had two children together: Luna (born in 2005) and Isla (2007).

But a string of scandals and highly publicised spats brought the relationship to a close. The couple split in 2008.

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In 2006, a woman claimed to have slept with the star in a hotel in Barcelona — Rives' hometown. Then in 2007, Lampard was accused of sleeping with another woman during a trip to Las Vegas.

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When the relationship broke down, the couple shared joint custody over their children. Rives moved out of their family home and stayed in an apartment in Fulham with the daughters, who visited Lampard throughout the week.

Rives' move caused more controversy after she told a reporter that she and the children had been moved into a much smaller flat, while Lampard converted their £8 million Chelsea residence into a "bachelor pad," according to The Independent.

The footballer has been known to invest in property. As well as his home in Chelsea, Lampard owns three apartments in London's Docklands, two houses in Cambridge, and a four-bedroom house in Barcelona. He bought this Surrey mansion in 2004 for £4 million.

The house — which is set in two acres of beautifully maintained grounds and features a sauna, tennis court and an outdoor heated swimming pool — was put on the market for £7 million in 2012, but never sold. He's now renting the Tudor build out for £9,000 per month.

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Despite breaking off the engagement to Rives, Lampard kept his daughters close. In May 2009 — six months after his split — the athlete showed off his parenting skills and invited hs kids onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

In the same year, he began a relationship with Northern Irish TV presenter Christine Bleakley, who was best known as the host of BBC1's "The One Show." This time, wedding bells were on the horizon.

The pair got engaged in 2011, and finally tied the knot four years later.

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When they married in 2015, the couple held an extravagant wedding at St Paul's church in London's glamorous Knightsbridge area. Cristine Bleakely's dress was custom-made by a British designer, and cost £10,000.

Bleakley has been by his side during some of the most important moments of his career. She supported her husband when he was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to football.

The football star spends plenty of quality time with his children, both on and off the pitch. After leaving Chelsea, Lampard's parenting inspired him to write children's books in a series called "Frankie's Magic Football."

They even go to the gym together.

Now that he's 38, Lampard said he wants to "start a new chapter in his life."

"I am forever grateful for the support of my family, my wife Christine, and my two daughters Luna and Isla," he said. "What you have given me off the pitch has always been my strength on it. I love you all very much."